During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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